The Big Bash League have extended their fixture list for the eighth edition of the tournament, moving to a full home and away schedule.

The tournament will run from December through till February with 56 regular matches played in 61 days in the biggest version of the competition yet. This tops last season’s edition, increasing from the 40 regular matches excluding the two semi-finals and the final.

‘Today we are excited to announce our first ever full home and away fixture [list] for the Big Bash League,’ said Cricket Australia’s head of Big Bash Leagues, Kim McConnie.

‘The season will extend past school holidays, so as the competition moves into February, there will be more family-friendly timeslots on weekends to help drive participation.

‘This is a move that will take the competition to the next level, as we aim to bring more fast-paced on-field action and family-friendly entertainment to more fans across Australia than ever before.

‘The objective of moving the BBL to a full home and away fixture [list] is consistent with Cricket Australia’s strategy of growing the Big Bash and becoming number one for fans across Australia. With more games, in more locations, we believe this is going to be one of the most exciting, action-packed BBL seasons to-date.

‘This summer, there will be 56 regular season matches, up from 40 last season, meaning each of the eight teams will play each other twice in addition to the two semi-finals and the final.’